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independence, by james3 on 12/02/2005, 06:03:06

5:01 am. Was about to go to bed but started reading through Mozart Sonata. That lead me into practice trills over 16th note in L.H. This lead me into working on playing sixteenth in my L.H. with 32nds in my right. This was much harder than playing 4 over 2.
Man I had to concentrate to get it but it worked. Going to bed.

LJP Journal: james3

New Year is here and I have some great goals lined up.
The first part is to practice is every day.
Here's the specifics
1.Technique
2. SR
3. Jamming along with CD's to figure out new things and to experiment with.
4.repertoire (get at least 20 more tunes down for the year)
5. start diving into the Jazz Line book
6. start working more with pentatonics book
7. get a new lick once every week or two (compile a lick book_...

5:01 am. Was about to go to bed but started reading through Mozart Sonata. That lead me into practice trills over 16th note in L.H. This lead me into working on playing sixteenth in my L.H. with 32nds in my right. This was much harder than playing 4 over 2.
Man I had to concentrate to get it but it worked. Going to bed.

Was about to send out a press release to all the major newspapers and news media for a duo gig on September 17th. This gig was for Katrina relief. Something told me to wait an extra day for before I sent it out for some reason. Thank goodness I did this because my duo partner just quit. Welcome to the music biz.
Going to head over to Barnes and Noble and pick up some books dealing with the concept of detachment. You need balls of steel in this industry..this I know. Wouldn't mind having some detac...

Had a typical music biz day today. Huge ups, downs, and lots of contradictions. Made 5 calls with "sure leads" into booking my vocal piano/guitar duo today. Well those sure leads didnt' really come through at all...seemed kind of bleak. I didn't get no's but I did get call me back.
Later in the day I also got a call from a producer in town and got booked for the whole month of March playing in an ensemble with an incredible world musician who's Grammy Nominated.
So, I can't book my duo but I can...

Spent a ton of time practicing this week...between 4 to 9 hours a day. These #'s don't mean anything but the mental and spiritual challenges i'm attacking do. I feel as if I'm entering once again into a journey of musical and self discovery. It feels great. I know this is my true calling in life because when I go into this space most of life's problems and issues just fade away for me. It's just me, the piano, God, and the universe. At the highest level I'm going for zero separation between all of th...

So, I have questions...hell we all do. Which I suppose everybody does in relation to many topics. First question. Why is it hard to sometimes find the discipline and the time to do what you really want or what your higher purpose really calls for?
Another question...why isn't everybody an innovator (or at least strive to be) in whatever their pursuit or passion is. Is it fear of sticking out like a sore thumb (loniless, isolation, fear in general?). I mean think about the absolute beauty in truth...

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.